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Andries Coetzee stars as new-look Boks beat weakened France
By Christopher Devine
Andries Coetzee enjoyed a sensational debut for South Africa as the Springboks claimed a much-needed 37-14 victory over an experimental France side in Pretoria on Saturday.
Following a dreadful 2016 featuring eight Test defeats, a new-look Boks team was able to ease some of the pressure on head coach Allister Coetzee with an ultimately convincing victory at Loftus Versfeld, albeit against a weakened touring side.
France opted not to include any players from Clermont Auvergne or Toulon, who contested last weekend's Top 14 final, for the first Test of three and were left to rue Brice Dulin's sin-binning on the hour mark, which allowed their hosts to surge clear in the final quarter.
Lions full-back Coetzee was among the star performers and had a hand in two of his team's four tries, while fellow debutant Ross Cronje got on the scoresheet himself and Courtnall Skosan - another of the new caps - was illegally impeded in the incident that led to Dulin being yellow carded and the awarding of a penalty try.
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Although South Africa dominated possession and territory early on, two Elton Jantjies penalties provided their only initial reward.
It took a powerful break from Coetzee to set up the game's opening try, the 27-year-old regaining his feet after being tackled and offloading to hooker Malcolm Marx, who was left with the simple task of sending Jesse Kriel through to the try line.
France responded before the break through Henry Chavancy, who touched down for his maiden international try after Yoann Huget had kicked on down the right before patting his own kick into the centre's path.
A third Jantjies penalty made it 16-7 at the break, but the visitors were back within two when replacement scrum-half Baptiste Serin dummied over.
Yet it was one-way traffic thereafter as Dulin prevented Skosan from getting on to the end of a kick to the in-goal area and South Africa clinically took advantage of their numerical advantage.
Cronje sprinted over for a debut try after skipper Warren Whiteley had collected a long lineout and passed inside, while another break from the hugely impressive Coetzee enabled Jan Serfontein to add a fourth five-pointer for the Boks.
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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